The Magic Door in the Pantry

My Mother finally explained why my brother stayed little and didn't grow into a man. Behind a shelf in the back of the pantry is a little door. It's been so many years since I've seen or used that little door. It opens up into the backyard where a mound my Mother fenced off with a little white fence. I vaguely remember spending time on that mound until I was seven and things happened I could hardly explain... until My Mother in her old age finally opened up and I began to remember...

I was just three years old when I found the little door, with its oval top and carved engravings. It was just a little taller than me and I held the porcelain handle, painted with a heart and a cat, it opened easily for me. This was strange as I remember my Father showing me how the door doesn't open... but when I wandered by my self one day into the pantry it opened and I went to the grassy mound in the backyard. I remember stepping on a clump of grass... that's when I met the angry Little Person... and sealed my families fate... for once you step on the wrong clump of grass... things can only seem to go well... but don't really.

The little person had on deep forest green pants, brown boots and a red cap, ''Why did you step there! Someone lives under there!... Don't just stare!... Answer me!''

"Who is under my foot?'' I stepped aside and looked down to see a teeny little person, the size of a milk bottle, wearing only leaves and looking quiet disgruntled.

His little voice spoke to the larger of the two little people, ''What should we do to this young human!?''

"Don't do anything to me! It was an accident, I'm sorry.'' I said. My knees felt wobbly and I was feeling ashamed and scared of these Little People.

The one in the red cap spoke to me, "My wife needs some work. Ask your Mother and Father if My wife, Tilia can work, sweeping up and tending to the dust in your home and my friend of the clump grass will do you no harm.''

"Okay I will go ask her"' I said and ran back through the little door to get my Mother in the kitchen. My mother seemed to be expecting something of this nature when I told her what was going on.

"so, you opened the little door, did you? Well tell the Kind Ones they are welcome in my home to work and will be given one bowl of porridge with a bit of cream every day for the wife and she can bring a bit of grain home to their family too.''

This was just the beginning... to be continued.

Love this. Can't wait to hear more!

Continued...

After I told the little man in the red cap that his wife Tilia could work in the house, he told me to gather some small stones and place them in a circle, sunrise around the Clump Grass one's home I had disturbed and his wife would start working for us in the night and that she doesn't like people to watch as she cleans, ''So, be respectful of what I say and things between our families will be peaceful'' the Little man said.

For two years, our home was always swept clean and there was never a trace of dust. My Mother always left a bowl of porridge in the pantry with a bit of cream and a small bag of grain. I never saw the Little woman with my own eyes. I remember my Mother was very pregnant with my little brother when I was five years old.

My Father had to take my Mother to the midwife one evening because they said the baby was coming. My Mother, breathing heavily tried to remind me about the porridge before they left, ''don't forget to put the porridge out'' she said as my father helped her out of the front door.

I had never left the porridge out on my own and that night I remembered to leave some grain in a sack next to the porridge, but forgot the cream.

The next day, my parents weren't back yet and I went into the pantry to get my breakfast ready only to find the bowl of porridge turned over and splattered on the ground with the sack of grain still there. I opened the little door and went to the mound. The Little man stood at the top of the mound looking menacingly at me, '' Your family shall pay the price for what you have done!''

"'what did we do?'' I asked quite scared, knees wobbly from these folk once again.

"You upset my wife! She got done nursing our new Little One and went to work as usual, looking forward to her porridge and you left out the cream... her single luxury in this world!''

"you have a little one?'' my voice shook. "my Mother is having a baby too''

"That she is, that she is'' the Little man said with the meanest smirk as he turned around and disappeared to the other side of the mound.

To be continued...

Oooooh, what happens next?

Continued...

I went back into the house, too upset to clean the mess Tilia had left in the pantry. My parents returned with a sweet chubby faced baby brother soon after my ordeal with the little people and I was so happy to see my new brother, I forgot to tell my Mother about what had happened earlier.

That night, my Father found the mess in the pantry, but didn't want to disturb my resting Mother. I told him what had happened and all he did was drink until he was only mumbling, ''there is no time to get the priest...'' and he passed out on a chair in the kitchen in front of the pantry.

Looking back now and remembering everything, I realize he was trying to stay up and guard the home. My baby brother was just born and had not yet been christened. The next day, my baby brother did not look like the same baby, he looked old and wizened far beyond his first day of life.

He never grew more than two feet and always looked like an old man. Maybe one day I will take him onto the mound and put a circle of stones around him. Even though I would like to see my real brother, I have grown to love the one I know now and even though he demands to have cream in his porridge every day, he will always be my Little Brother.

The end.
Thank you for reading.

Good story! Yay!

a reply to: Night Star Thank you Night Star, I had to get it out of my system! Glad you liked it.

Glad you wrote it! Thank you!

a reply to: peppycat

Nice writing my friend.

a reply to: peppycat

Really enjoyed it! I hope you continue this storyline.

a reply to: Quantum12 Thank you.😊 I've been liking yours too!

a reply to: seentoomuch Thank you! It's whole little world of this story in my head, so I might expand on this one.

a reply to: peppycat

Thank you I wrote like 10 stories last night. I fluffed up most of them lol

a reply to: Quantum12 You were on a role! They are quite descriptive with flowing wording and inspiring too!

I like this story. I usually don't read the short stories on here, but your link in your sig caught my eye. I'm glad I read it, I really enjoyed it.

Love your story,it's really nice.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan thank you kindly.😊

could of expanded... maybe, thank you!

a reply to: Ladystar thanks, it felt right and good. Writing it when. I did
Have a great Wednesday/Thursday!

Just so anyone knows, I was inspired to write this story because of a friend on ATS...with lots of gusto. !! plus the one with encouraging sentiments..thanks friends.